Aleppo -
Syrian warplanes launched fresh raids on the last rebel-held districts in Aleppo on Friday, as key regime ally Russia vowed the assault would continue until opposition fighters left the battleground city.

Kabul -
Pentagon chief Ashton Carter sought to reaffirm US commitment to Afghanistan on Friday, as uncertainty lingers over President-elect Donald Trump's strategy on America's longest war in the face of a resilient Taliban insurgency.

Madrid -
Some 400 African migrants forced their way into the tiny Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Friday, authorities said, the biggest group in a decade to storm the walled city bordering Morocco in search of asylum.

While we are feeling the first Arctic blast of the season this week, next week's weather forecast is going to be a doozy. Winter weather's most unwelcome visitor, the polar vortex is coming for a visit..

Miami -
John Glenn's passing on Thursday means that the first seven American astronauts chosen to lead the fledging US space program in 1959 are now dead, ending a groundbreaking chapter in American history.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced he aims at eradicating poverty from the Philippines in the next 25 years and transform his country into a middle-class society through a plan called Ambisyon Natin 2040.

Den Haag -
Former Serb military commander Ratko Mladic was "not a monster" and should be acquitted of genocide and war crimes, his defence argued Friday, insisting the prosecution had failed to prove his role in the Bosnian war.

Brussels -
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday warned countries not to go it alone in the wake of Brexit, as he marked the 25th anniversary of a summit that produced the Maastricht treaty.

London -
Another week, another gaffe by Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson. But although he has annoyed Brussels and insulted Riyadh, Prime Minister Theresa May is keeping him on board -- at least for now.

Schiphol -
Populist anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders was found guilty on Friday of discrimination against Moroccans, but acquitted of hate speech in a closely-watched trial ahead of next year's key elections.

Washington -
Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, retired Marine General James Mattis, has plenty of experience in the armed forces but also serves on the board of General Dynamics, a prime US defense contractor.